Phase One-Program Development through Action
In Phase One, the residents, businesses, property owners and service providers will work together to develop the Lowertown Mental Health strategy. 
Phase One will provide the opportunity to complete 4 key building blocks which are critical to future success and which will inform a proposal for a mental health strategy for the Byward Market community.

1) Community Leadership and Governance  A small Steering Committee/ Task Force? will be formed to lead the project consisting of representatives of the key stakeholders.  The role will be to 1) manage the process towards achieving milestones, 2) establish the methodology for gathering, analyzing and utilizing data regarding community needs, 3) develop a rolling plan of action to address community needs based on the priorities identified from the data collection, 4)  identify critical pathways which need to be changed or improved to support achieving the shared objective of a healthy balanced community in the Byward Market neighborhood.  

2) Community Data Collection and Response (may be time limited).  Establish a community data collection system which maps the location and nature of social disorder in real time.  Establish a process for community members to input data into the system in real time and link the input of data to a 24/7 community response team.    The 24 hour community response team will physically attend incidents to support residents, businesses and service providers with a primary goal of immediately defusing or managing the situation and if not possible, activating other first response systems including City of Ottawa services (fire, police, social services, Bylaw, housing etc)  

3) Data Analysis and Strategic Planning  The Steering Committee will meet regularly to review the data and develop a methodology to act on what is learned.  It is expected that future action will focus on a) changes to programs, services, resources available to people living and working in the Byward Market b) development of the Lowertown Mental Health Centre rooted in the needs identified through the process c) negotiated changed to other systems and care pathways to improve outcomes for people who need to access care.

4) Action to Address Needs  The Steering Committee will leverage capacity at the community, municipal, provincial and federal levels to establish and operate the Byward Market Mental Health Centre.  Beyond the direct services the Centre will focus on improving the mental health of people and organizations who live and work in the Byward Market by:

• Providing direct treatment and care to those living with complex mental health needs with a focus on complex trauma treatment
• Reducing social disorder and improving community safety by engaging the stakeholders in the community to keep their community and its members safe and healthy
• Address the risks of the toxic drug supply and its direct impact on the health of the community through a variety of means which engage people who use drugs in solutions which benefit them and their community
• Addressing barriers to access to health, employment, housing

Year One Costs

1. Secretariat Costs-project management, Steering Committee support, data analysis and reporting, IT costs to operate data collection system, communication costs to encourage community members to report data
2. 24/7 Community Crisis Response team
3. Program Development Costs